Pine trees are wonderful. If you have ever wandered through a pine forest you will know the lovely fresh smell of these evergreen trees. They are very useful to mankind for wood, pulp, and in some cases, pine nuts.
There are over 100 species of pine tree and they are all classified under the genus Pinus in the family Pinaceae. They range is size from 3-80 metres tall. The tallest species is the Ponderosa Pine which is found in the USA. Pines have needles (long, pointed, adult leaves) and cones (seed carrier) and are pretty distinctive because of this and their smell.
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The oldest known pine was a Bristlecone Pine found beneath Wheeler Peak in the USA. It was dated to 4,900 years old using the dendrochronology method; counting tree rings - one for every year of life. It is no longer alive because it was cut down but it has been named Prometheus after the Greek immortal who brought knowledge (symbolised by fire) to humans.
The trees are native to most of the northern hemisphere and as such are pretty common. They have been introduced to subtropical regions such as South Africa and Australia because they are a useful source of timber but in some areas they are threatening the native ecosystems.
Pine is classified as softwood. This is because pines are gymnosperms and this basically means that they let their seeds fall to the ground with no covering, creating a higher chance that they will be picked up on the wind and distributed over a wider area than the angiosperm trees (the hardwoods that have seeds with a covering - think acorn).
Whilst you may think that softwood is soft and therefore not good for furniture, the term doesn't reflect on the actual hardness of the wood. Red pine (or Norway pine as it is also known) is harder than sweet birch, white oak and North American walnut.
Pine furniture is in fact really popular because it is so versatile and comparatively cheap compared to other woods.
Pine timber is also used as pulp. The wood is chipped pine and used in the manufacture of paper. Only the heartwood and sapwood are used but the bark is often used as fuel to create the steam for the pulp mill.
The pine nuts from Pinus Sibirica and Pinus Koraiensis are large and edible. Pine nuts are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and calories. They are gluten free so obviously useful for gluten free diets. The oil from these nuts has a delicate flavour and is used in cooking and is also useful as a moisturiser for the skin. It can also be used as a base oil.
Pine is a fantastic tree and provides us with many useful things. Long live pine.
The Pine Tree
By Rebecca G Wishford
For pine shops selling solid pine furniture, try A World of Furniture.
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